British Fiction, 1800–1829:
A Database of Production and ReceptionPhase II Report: Advertisements for Novels in The Star, 1815–1824

Jacqueline Belanger, Peter
Garside, Anthony Mandal, Sharon Ragaz

The Star, 1815–1824:
Checklist

Reading the RecordsThe following records of advertisements are presented within
the context of a listing of all known novels published between 1815-24.
The chronological listing is subdivided alphabetically according to authors'
names which are followed by an abbreviated form of the title; unidentified
anonymous works are listed at the start of each year. Presenting the records
in this form allows for identification of which titles were or were not
advertised in The Star, in addition to a rough estimation of total
coverage in advertisements.

Each advertisement that appears
in The Star is documented in a unique record. In each, the date on
which a notice appeared is given first. Following the date, a bracketed
sequence of three digits-for example, (1.2.6)-indicates, in order, the page,
column, and item placement of the advertisement. Thus, (1.2.6) shows that
an advertisement appears on page one in column two (of four), and is item
six, counted down from the top of the page.

Information identified as
'heading', and contained within single quotation marks, records the specific
text that introduces a title in an advertisement. 'This day was published'
is the most common header, and is a standard phrase that, in the context
of its repetitive use in the advertisements, cannot be taken literally.
Additionally, a variety of headers were sometimes employed across a sequence
of advertisements that built up to a novel’s actual publication, for
example, by reporting that a work is ‘in the press’ and subsequently
noting that it is ‘just published’; in such cases, the formula
may usefully pinpoint publication to a date or a narrow range of dates.

Following the header, each
record includes information about number of volumes, format and price as
it appears in the advertisements. In this period, most novels were sold
in boards (rather than sewn) and this too is indicated in the advertisements.
As the records show, price is typically not included in advertisements leading
up to a novel's actual publication, indicating that it was usually set at
a late stage in the production process.

Wed, 19 Apr 1820 (1.2.4). Heading: 'In a few days will be published'. 2v., 14s.

55. MUDIE, Robert. GLENFERGUS

Mon, 18 Oct 1819
(1.2.3). Heading: 'NEW WORKS
IN THE PRESS. In the course of November and December next, G. and W. B.
Whittaker, London; and Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh will publish the following
works [.]'